TV On the Radio, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

If you’re looking to catch the early bandwagon for the next hipster band, you’re about six months late for TV On the Radio. Their summer ’03 debut EP, Young Liars, has already wowed and bored the pierced-and-tattooed cognoscenti, and we’re already reading about how last August they are. So silly. This Brooklyn trio is worth exercising your attention span. While Liars was highlighted by an a capella cover of the Pixies’ “Mr. Grieves” that’ll take the top of your head off, Desperate Youth is more of a slow burn: a compelling mix of indie-rock fuzz, jazzy rhythm and Dion-esque doo-wop, with tasty hints of Stereolab and Morphine. It’s one of those too-rare works with a layered structure that rewards repeated close listening; we keep coming back to the third track, “Dreams,” with its rich, understated closing segment. Nice work.